Baseball forces extras, defeats Thomas More (Ky.) 10-9

By Caleb Scott

CRESTVIEW HILLS, Ky. — The Ohio Northern baseball team forced extra innings with a run in the top of the ninth inning and scored the lone run in the tenth inning to claim a 10-9 victory over Thomas More (Ky.) on Thursday afternoon at Thomas More Field.

The Polar Bears improve to 8-3 overall, while the Saints fall to 2-5.

Senior Kyle Schlade (Hamilton/Talawanda) led Northern at the plate, going 3-for-4 with two RBI and two runs scored, while senior Jason Burkett (Maumee) was 2-for-4 with three runs scored.

After scoring in the top of the ninth and stopping TMC defensively in the bottom of the ninth, a bunt from senior Dan Barna (Cranberry Township, Pa./Seneca Valley) scored junior Luke Klinehoffer (Zanesville/John Glenn) to help lift ONU to the 10-9 victory.

Thomas More struck first in the bottom of the first to take a quick 1-0 lead.

Shortly after in the top of the second inning, ONU scored twice as senior Brandon Kasberg (Mentor) hit a single to plate Burkett and sophomore Phil Buckingham (Wayne/Elmwood) to give ONU a 2-1 lead.

Northern added to its lead in the top of the fourth inning after Schlade hit a sacrifice fly ball to right field and scored senior Hayden Shenefield (Powell/Worthington Kilbourne) and pushed the lead to 3-1.

TMC regained the lead in the bottom half of the fifth inning, tallying five runs to take a 6-3 lead.

ONU retake the lead over the course of the next three innings as Shenefield drove Burkett home in the top of the sixth, junior Caleb Thomas (Strongsville) drove Klinehoffer home in the top of the seventh, and a bases-loaded single from Thomas plated Kasberg and freshman Krue Thwaits (Greenville/Milton Union) to give ONU an 8-6 lead.

The Saints would rally one more in the bottom of the eighth inning, scoring three runs to take a 9-8 lead, before a double from Schlade plated freshman Michael Rocco (Zionsville, Ind.) and knotted the game at 9-all to force extra innings.

Sophomore Nate Bye (Thorntown, Ind./Western Boone) earned the victory on the mound, improving to 2-1 on the mound this season, while sophomore Josh Mohr (Oregon/Clay) struck out a game-high five batters on the mound. 

Senior T.J. Storer (Loveland/Moeller) posted his fourth save of the season in the victory.

The Polar Bears will return to action on Sunday afternoon as they complete the 3-game series with Thomas More